52 Responses to “Smith Printing Company Book Printing and Book Binding Blog”

I was just reading an article today about the difficulties of selling to your customers based on a promise of good customer service. Good customer service, even though it seems to be rare, is expected. Every business wants you to believe they have great people and great service. That is why I love this blog page. It gives potential customers a chance to read about the experiences of our actual customers. Anyone can promise you great products and services but the truth will come out in the end. Thanks to those who have taken the time to contribute their comments to this page. It is the BEST form of advertising!

When my grandson and I started our book last spring we had what we thought was the broad outline for a fun children’s book and lots of interesting pictures. We had never done anything like this before and didn’t know the fist thing to do. Becky was fantastic. She led us through the entire process in an expert and professional manner, gave us confidence that everything would work out fine, and made us comfortable from the very beginning. Our confidence was rewarded with 25 beautifully printed books at a very fair price. Finally, Minnesota nice is real and is found in abundance at Smith Printing Company.

Jamie mailed me my books on Saturday, and they arrived today. Oh, my gosh! They’re amazing. I can’t stop touching the cover, because the glossy finish feels so nice. I had an idea of how everything would look fully assembled, but this is better than I’d imagined. I can’t get over the novelty of seeing the story in print. =D

Thank you, muchas gracias, danke, merci beaucoup, domo arigatou! Jamie and I hope to order another run early next year, because we’ve been getting lots of interest now that we have copies in print. Funny how that happens…

Anyway, you’ve been wonderful, and I’m super happy that we chose to use Smith Printing! For now, take care, and talk to you later!

I just want to thank Becky for everything. She helped get my mom’s memoirs published. I talked to her days after my mom passed away and she listened to me while I cried. Becky was very understanding of what we wanted and the finished product is beautiful. I will recommend them to everyone I know that needs something published.

I have nothing but praise for the excellent job Smith Printing did on the genealogical book I had published for my family this past summer. I compared quotes from several different publishers but was drawn to Smith Printing because of Becky’s professionalism: she clearly understood what I was trying to accomplish and my budget constraints. Smith Printing’s costs are very competitive (if not the best on the market) and Becky’s expertise helped me make the best technical and editorial choices throughout the entire process. She kept me informed on the progress of the book at every step of the way. To say that the final product is impressive is a huge understatement: my family was stunned by the quality of the book and it now sits very proudly on many bookshelves all across the country. Thank you, Smith Printing, for giving the Childs family something we can proud of for generations to come.
Greg Childs
Clamart, France
“The Childs Family of York, Maine (1907-2014)”

I wanted to let you know we received the books yesterday (Friday). It so happened I was having my parents for dinner last night, so we gave Patrick his survival guides after dessert with my parents there too! It was so nice that they were a part of his joy when he unwrapped them.

The books are lovely! They are perfect! Thank you so much.

I also have your card which I will hold on it. If I ever hear of anyone needing this type of work done, I will certainly recommend you and your company.

Hi Becky,
I want to thank you guys at Smith Printing Company for the wonderful job you did with my family’s 2014 heritage book. The family reunion was an overwhelming success. We had a fantastic time. Everyone was super excited when it came time to distribute the heritage books. One by one as they opened their books, their jaws dropped in awe. They could not believe it. There were a myriad of emotions from tears of joy to many of them coming to me throughout the four day reunion, saying things like, “thank you, the book is great, the book is awesome!” Of the 105 books ordered from Smith Printing, 48 of them were shipped to family members who could not attend the reunion. I am still getting telephone calls, emails, text messages and Facebook posts about the book. I think they like it (lol). Again, thanks so much for your professionalism and awesome work. The quality of your work is exceptional. You left no stone unturned, doing everything possible to satisfy my ever-changing requests. I highly recommend Smith Printing Company to anyone with a book printing need. You guys are the best! Please thank Mark for me.

P.S. You haven’t heard the last from me. I still have my mom’s family heritage book to do. Although I think I’ll take a short breather first! Be blessed in all you do.

I am very happy with Becky, and her staff at Smith Printing; for their kindness, service and professionalism, and for the wonderful results from the
project I approached them with. The account begins with two brothers who shared the hobby of Amateur Radio, and how their wish really came true…

My younger brother and I are Amateur Radio Extra Class operators, and ARRL/W5YI Volunteer Examiners. This year marked the centennial of the American Radio Relay League, the organization for Amateur Radio here in America. For this noteworthy occasion, a Centennial Edition of the ARRL Handbook was prepared, and 3,000 hard bound commemorative copies were printed and bound. He and I are both members of this organization, and we were witnessing history in the making, here in 2014.

My brother mentioned that he had missed the opportunity to order a limited quantity serial numbered and personalized hard bound edition of the Handbook for himself. So did I. Out of 3,000 serial numbered hardcover copies, the first 1,000 were offered with the personalization option of the Amateur operator’s name and callsign foil stamped on the cover above the serial number; and sold very quickly. With the remaining 2,000 non-personalized serial numbered copies dwindling, I decided that we would have a personalized copy each, no matter what; and hastily purchased two hard bound copies from Amazon.com.

I contacted Becky, after visiting the Smith Printing website, about the foil stamping for both books. The work would appear similar to the limited quantity personalized copies, but with a “twist” that would make them unique: Both would carry a second line below the name and callsign line that read “ARRL/W5YI Volunteer Examiner”. This line would indicate our service to Amateur Radio as examiners for those who wanted to enter Amateur Radio with the necessary “entry-level” Technician license grant, or advance in license and operating privileges to the next two higher levels of General and Extra Class.

Becky worked with me cheerfully throughout the entire process, even when I had doubts about the end results. She was calm and reassuring, and helped me through what had now become the special embellishment of two irreplaceable copies of a commemorative edition book. All my questions were answered promptly and satisfactorily, whether I called or emailed. In very timely fashion the work was done, and she sent me a photo of my book with the foil stamping completed. When I saw that photo, I swallowed a lump down my throat the size of Wrigley Stadium… the results were amazing, and my brother’s book looked as good as mine. The results looked sharper and better than the original personalized copies from ARRL, in my estimation.

When my brother received his copy, I could hear his voice breaking up on the phone as he held the book and looked at it closely, through tears. It was what he had wanted, and even more. Hearing that made the pursuit of having this work done so wonderfully “worth it”, and much more. I received my copy a day earlier than he received his copy, and had my “moment” of looking at something I had only hoped for previously, as a stunning reality that day.

There are more projects I’ll ask Becky and her staff to do, including personalized foil stamping of a pair of Bibles for my wife and me. When others see my ARRL Handbook copy, I expect many comments and questions, and I have some of Becky’s business cards, along with my heartfelt and hearty recommendation. When the Bibles are in our hands, the questions and comments about them will be greeted in the same fashion as the Handbooks.

These are great people, who conduct their business pleasantly, and do magnificent work with the skill of artisans. I trusted them with two copies of a “nearly impossible to find at any price now” Centennial Edition book, and was rewarded with the most wonderful outcome- knowing that my brother was as deeply moved by seeing our books, having a wish come true in one hundred years of Time, and even having Time itself stop for a little while.

Thank you, Becky. And all your staff at Smith Printing. You all are the best! May God bless…

My son is getting married on Saturday and he asked me to perform the ceremony. I immediately thought that giving him a book, with my comments, the readings and the vows would be something that he and Maryanne would have forever. Becky Smith made it happen in short order. She was helpful, pleasant and willing to work with my time restrain. I just received the book a couple of minutes ago and I couldn’t be happier. Thanks Becky…your ARE the BEST!

After reading many of the positive statements regarding working with Becky Smith Printing, I agree absolutely that she is friendly, professional,and patient with one who was discouraged with previous experiences. My book looks great, the colors are the best of any other co. I have used. Her graphic designer, Terry, also deserves a thankyou for such a professional result. The price was right and the completion time was perfect. Thankyou Becky I am very happy I chose your business.

We have worked with Smith Printing on very small, sporadic needs for the last 4 years. Not only is Becky THE BEST… the books are perfect every time. We are treated as if we are producing hundreds of books weekly, when in actuality we have maybe 1-2 orders a year for only a handful of books. Our needs are always happily met and our expectations are always exceeded. I recommend Smith Printing any time I can. Everyone is a pleaseure to work with!

Dear Becky – What a delight and professional attitude working with you and Smith Publishers in publishing the History of IWS. The end product was worth the meticulous job you did in guiding me through a very difficult process, especially the way in which you took special care with the pictures and their placement. Not only were the prices reasonable they were well below all expectations. It would be my pleasure to work with you again it the opportunity ever arose.

Dear Becky,
The books arrived today and they are just perfect. I am completely pleased and like the way they are set-up, the cover and the whole arrangement. The pages in color are absolutely stunning and I like the enlargement of the Bach manuscript.

Thank you so much. You and your staff are very responsive and I thank you for the wonderful work.

Becky, it was such a pleasurable experience to deal with you and your company. The bound copies of our Church’s bulletins came out beautifully. Our legacy continues. Next year we’ll be celebrating our 375th Anniversary of the oldest Presbyterian Church in America. We’ll have to come up with a special cover for the bound copies for 2015! Thank you again.

Received 4 printed copies of our Master’ written project and presentation two weeks ago. They look great!! It took a couple of weeks of communication with Becky to make all the necessary decisions on the details that went into printing the book. I appreciated her patience and professionalism in getting all these details defined and incorporating them into the final printed copy. I would recommend Smith Printing to anyone looking to get some professional looking books printed.

Hello Becky,
Yes, we received the books last Friday! They look amazing! Gil waited until we were all home to unpack one and each of us just oohh…and ahhed.. over them. My daughter said “that’s the way the family is going to react when they see them!” They are way beyond my expectations, they look amazing.
Thank you for all your help with this project.

The books arrived yesterday afternoon.
I am genuinely pleased with the outcome, the cover, formatting, black and white pictures in-text, all of it. I remain, as I have been throughout, pleased and appreciative of your interest and good-spirited help in bringing my little project to completion.

I need to say that I had explored a number of self publishing options (apparently something of a boomlet for some publishers) before contacting you. They were all impersonal, formulaic, touting more than I needed or wanted and I found most of them to be outrageously expensive as well. It goes without saying that I made the better choice, placing my project with you, an area code away, patient with a not too tech savvy old timer, interested in doing it and doing it right from the get-go.

Should you ever have occasion to use me as a reference for someone considering a similar project, I would be happy to be enlisted. And if you ever wanted to use my book as an example of what you do, you have my permission, of course.

Becky, my relatives in England have received the copies of the family history book. They are all very pleased with the quality of your product. I add my vote to theirs. Your customer service is of equal quality. It has been my pleasure to deal with your company and especially you.

Hi Becky,
I just wanted to thank you again for bearing with me and rushing my grandfather’s book! It moved my grandfather to tears, and he has not stopped telling me for months how it was the greatest gift he’s ever received.

The books are AMAZING! They are perfect and exactly what I wanted yet even better!
I love the feel/look of the cover material and the hue of blue. All I can say is Wow! Perfect.
Thank you so much!
Kendall

Hi Todd,
Just a short note to tell you how happy I was to receive my photo album yesterday and the stamping you did was really nice. It added such a professional touch and finish to my work.

You can rest assured that I will highly recommend to colleagues, friends and relatives your printing services should they be in need of them. Again, thanks for a job well done and I hope you, Becky and family will begin to see the warmer weather in Minnesota.

Just wanted to commend you for a job well done. The book was beautiful, and our boss was surprised and very happy with his gift. I used to work for a local university here. I am going to forward your website info to my old boss. The doctoral students in the program are required to submit bound copies of their dissertations, and are always looking for timely, reasonably priced companies to do the printing.

I would like to take some time to express my thanks and gratitude of the two printed and bound books I received from Smith Printing. They were a gift for my brother’s birthday. When it came time to open gifts, everyone present initially thought the book was merely a scrapbook to be filed in with photos and the like. Upon opening the book and seeing the high quality paper, print type, binding and colored photographs, everyone was surprised and delighted. I was even asked how I got the book made. I gave them your name and my recommendation. Job Well DONE! My brother loves the book…and it would not be possible without you all at Smith Printing.

In the last few years, my wife and I have had eleven books expertly created by Becky Smith and her crew. In every case, the quality of the books was outstanding. It didn’t matter if the book was one hundred or seven hundred pages, they always turned out beautiful. Becky was always attentive to my endless e-mails; of course, sometimes we were just writing about our dogs. I knew that I had a kindred spirit in Becky when she read the title of one of the books, “I Can’t See My Shadow Anymore”, a book about my dog who had recently died. She wrote that just reading the title brought tears to her eyes. Finding Becky Smith and Smith Printing was a stroke of good luck and a gift that keeps on giving.

Becky and Todd,
Doing business with you was a blessing from start to finish and I feel like we’ve
gained a friend in the process. Thank you for your excellent professional approach to your business. The Road to Random anthology book of my father’s poetry writings turned out beautifully! The cover foil imprint is just as I envisioned it. Even your packaging for mailing was carefully done! We are excited to give these books out. We are so grateful to have this family heirloom for our children and grandchildren and others to remember the blessing of their heritage by. Thank you for helping our father’s dream become a reality. We are very pleased with your work and will most definitely recommend your company to others.

Working with Smith Printing Company was an effortless endeavor. I can’t tell you how much we appreciated Becky’s patience, commitment and enthusiasm towards helping us complete our project.

Of all the printing companies I contacted, Smith Printing was the best fit because they were so friendly and personable, timely with their estimates, they were willing to print a smaller run of copies, and their prices were very reasonable. I could get in touch with them even after business hours. Becky was responsive and so helpful to all of our questions and concerns. Smith Printing worked diligently to help us meet our quick deadline.

It was obvious that Smith Printing cared about our project. We’re very happy that we chose Smith Printing! It was such a pleasure to work with you Becky.

My elderly father had been writing short stories for over 20 years. I had collected all of them – dozens and dozens of short stories, poems, and some longer stories, in a large box in the attic. Most were typed with a “typewriter” – remember those? Anyway, for years I wanted to turn those stories into a hardbound collection. I had called some “big” publishers, and I didn’t like what I heard. Then, I found Smith Printing on the web, and called Becky Smith. We spoke for about an hour, as she took in all the details of my dream project. She sounded as interested and excited as I was! Also, the price of converting the many pages of loose-bound typed text was MUCH less expensive than the other companies I had spoken with. I know it was over the phone, but for some reason she just conveyed a feeling of trust – those were important writings by my dad, and she made me feel like they would be important to her, too. Anyway, after many communications and decisions about my final product, my dream for my father’s writing, a great family heirloom and legacy for him, is completed and in my hands! They are beautiful! He is going to be receiving a two-volume edition of his own writings for Christmas! His grandchildren are also receiving copies when they graduate high school and head off to college. I couldn’t be more happy with the product, or the process. Every once in a while, your gut feeling about a company or person is correct – mine was this time. Becky Smith and Smith Printing are top-notch, and they get my HIGHEST recommendation for any publishing needs – quality work at a fair price with a very personal touch. My gratitude to you all at Smith, and Merry Christmas!
Sincerely,
John Sferrazza

Becky,
The books are great! We went to Kathy’s mother’s (Betty)the next day after getting the books. Kathy gift wrapped one of the copies and handed it to her mother when we got there. Betty cried when she opened the package. Of course she knew what it was. She just cried from all the emotion of everything. Some of Kathy’s siblings (6 kids) are just now learning about many of the experiences that their mother has had. The family has been laughing and crying while reading these stories.

Kathy told her mother early on that she was going to make a book out of her stories. I had wanted Kathy to wait and make it a big surprise; however, as it turns out I was wrong in wanting to wait. You could not believe how excited Betty was when Kathy first told her what she was doing. For the 2-3 months of the process Betty was so excited and happy. Kathy and her mother would just be so excited talking on the phone.

Betty has had a couple of friends read some of the stories and want to buy a copy. One friend has read the book and wants to mail a copy to her sister in South Carolina.

Kathy and I agreed this is probably one of the best things, if not the best thing, she has ever done for her mother. This has been an unimaginably wonderful experience for us all.

I can’t begin to tell you how grateful I am to Becky Smith for her eternal patience and unfailing help, in fulfilling a vision I had, and bringing it to reality. She went far beyond “customer service” and I feel like she has actually become a friend. The end product was amazing, and I literally could not have done it without her. The whole experience, including the extremely fair pricing of my birthday book invitation, made it possible for me give my sister a once in a lifetime gift that she will never forget. Thank you Becky, you are truly an incredible person!

Smith printing…..I have only WONDERFUL things to say about Becky, the very reasonable price, and the quality of their products. I was working on my family history for several years, and had a very unpleasant experience with another vendor. Then I found Becky – she was wonderful. Walked me through everything, offered some tips and ultimately provided me with my family history in a beautiful high quality product that I’m proud to share with the rest of my family. I will be sharing my experience with anyone who will listen. Thank you SmithPrinting !!!

I received my order about 3 weeks ago and I must say, that I was totally impressed with the level of service, attention to detail, and the quality of the hardbound book I received. The price was very reasonable for what I wanted (250 pages, hardbound cover, red leather exterior). From all the other printing services out there, Smith Printing was the most helpful for what I had envisioned and they were eager to satisfiy all of my concerns. I definitely have more items that I will bring to them to have bound and printed in the very near future!

I would like to thank Becky Smith for helping me bind my first children’s book. She was very helpful in teaching me how to format my book and quickly responded to all of my emails. The process was very quick. My books were shipped on Friday and I received them on Monday.

Candice,
Thank you for your kind words. We always try to make our customer service the best it can be. I’m glad to hear the books have been so well received. We look forward to continuing our relationship as your publishing resource in the future!

I’m sending this note to express my appreciation for the support and service I received in working with you and your company. The two copies of the book you published for me arrived and were exactly as I hoped they would be. I’m sure this was a small job for you, and probably insignificant to your bottom line, however you never treated me as small or insignificant. You were professional, courteous, and patient with the fact that I’m inexperienced at getting a book printed. The book was very important to me, and you made me feel it was important to you as well.

The book was a set of deck logs for the ship my father served on in WW2. All of us fortunate enough to be children of WW2 veterans know how important their service was to them, and how extremely proud they are. My father is 86 years old and still wears his Navy hat every day. I wish you could have seen reaction when he saw the book. To bring that joy to him meant the world to me.

Before finding your company I had tried several publishers, and all told me that the job was too small for them. By taking on this small job, you made a big impact on a veteran. I wish you and your company a lot of success. This country needs businesses such as yours that understand that it’s not always about the bottom line, but how you treat people. Thank you again for all you did to help me make this father’s day special.

Dear Chuck,
It was a pleasure serving you and your family. It is extra special when we can be of service to those who have given so much to make this country strong and free! If you are able to read this, thank a teacher. If you are reading this is English, thank a Veteran!

Thanks so much, we received the books today. You did a great job with this little project, and we appreciate it. If we have another order I’ll let you know as soon as possible.
A note, what makes your company excel is the service you provide. I have been in the service business for forty years and I’m always aware of when I’m being served by a professional. There’s a difference, thank you.
Jack

I am so pleased with the customer service and quality of product I received from Smith Printing! The whole process was simple and efficient. I just needed to take a personal story and have it nicely printed in a professional bound book as a gift. The end result was better than I could have hoped for. I would recommend this company to anyone! I am so appreciative of the assistance I was given along the way and the end result!

Hi Becky,
I received the shipment of books on Friday and they are wonderful. Thanks to all who worked on them. I am very pleased and happy.
I am working on the second book about my brother and my families. I hope to send it to you in January.
I’ll be at a family reunion in July in Las Vegas. It is a huge family and they are talking about writing a book. I’ll show them my book and recommended Smith’s Printing.
Thanks again,
Lillian

Thank you, Becky, for having my book,very special to me, custom bound. It is beautiful and now a treasure to me. I am so proud of it, and so appreciative to you and your company for such spectacular work. Thanks also for your kindness in helping me make decisions, your professionalism and your promptness and friendliness in all our communications! Polly

Smith Printing and Book Binding Company was outstanding in every way. The price was competitive and the quality of the finished product was excellent. Becky timely provided assistance, suggestions, and answers to all of our questions. Thank you for your patience, assistance and the great final product. You exceeded our expectations!

When our beloved Pastor of over 20 years retired, we wanted to present him with our most treasured possession, our memories. We sent the original writings submitted by our Church members to be bound into a unique and beautiful book. Smith Printing did an absolutely outstanding job. With our sincere gratitude to Becky for her guidance, help and expertise, as well as her kind and patient manner, this will indeed be a very special gift for a very special man. Thank you so much.
Blessings,
Vicki Buckmann
Fellowship Deacon

Our sincerest and deepest gratitude to Becky and her staff for their: interest in our project; patience with us as we worked on our project; expertise in working on our project; courtesy and promptness in all of our communications; and the extraordinary work on our project. Our family history book is awesome, a treasure that will be transmitted with love and subdued pride to succeeding generations of the Moates’ family.

I have been working on my Memoirs for the past 7 years and without Becky Smith and her wonderful staff I could never have accomplished it. Becky guided me step by step and was always there when I needed her. I am not exaggerating when I say that she is considered family! My books are beautiful and high class all the way! Thank you all so much.

We are so happy to have discovered Smith Printing. Becky was a delight to work with. Our family history books were created as a gift to our children for our 50th wedding anniversary. Hopefully future generations will enjoy them. The quality of the printing, binding and general look is outstanding. We were more than pleased.

If you would like a reasonably priced printing and binding service, this is the right place. Becky Smith sounds like you would like your next-door neighbor to sound – pleasant, yet business-like. There is nothing of the usual cold, impersonal attitude one might expect from such a company, but an aura of friendly, personable service.